Grosbeak. INSESSORES. COCCOTHRAUSTES. 327 



breeder, the nest seldom being finished before the latter part 



of May or the beginning of June. — This is composed of moss Nest, &c. 



and wool interwoven, with a lining of hair and feathers, and 



usually placed in a thick hedge, or bush, but occasionally in 



the ivy encircling some tree. The eggs are four or five in 



number, of a bluish- white, speckled at the larger end with 



light orange-brown. 



It feeds upon all seeds (particularly the oleaginous kinds) ^"o'^- 

 and grain, and is found throughout the greatest part of 

 Eiirope. 



Plate 54. Fig. 3. Natural size. 



Upper parts of the body bright oil-green, passing into General 



(iGscriD- 

 sulphur-yellow, the feathers margined with ash-grey. tion. 



Greater wing-coverts and secondaries smoke-grey ; the 

 latter with their centres blackish-grey. Greater quills 

 blackish-grey, with their outer webs gamboge-yellow. 

 Tail, having the middle feathers blackish-grey, margined 

 with yellowish-grey ; the outer feathers with their exte- 

 rior webs gamboge-yellow. Bill pinkish-white. Legs 

 pale wood-bro^vn, tinged with flesh-coloured red. 

 Of the female, the upper parts of the body are oil-green, 

 tinged with sulphur-yellow. Flanks grey. The yellow 

 edging upon the outer webs of the greater quills and 

 tail-feathers are not so bright as in the male. 



Subfamily PYRRULINA, Vig. 



This subfamily, of which the Bullfiirches and other nearly 

 allied genera are the typical representatives, forms another 

 aberrant group of the Frmg'dlidce. A considerable modifi- 

 cation in the structure of the bill is seen in these birds, as 

 compared with that member in the typical Finches and Gros- 

 beaks ; the upper mandible being much curved, and its tip 

 projecting beyond, and hanging over that of the lower. In 



